Another Man's Shoes
by RealRoyMustang
Summary: You don't know a person's life until you walk a mile in their shoes...through a bit of botched Alchemy Roy and Edweard get to see each other's lives firsthand! Genactionadventureromance tale starring Roy and Ed!
1. Chapter 1

Another Man's Shoes 

Edward Elric wasn't sure _how _it fell to him to catalogue the life's work of one recently deceased State Alchemist but he wasn't complaining…much. Silas Mariner, who was also known as the Mind Alchemist, had a prodigious library and the journals he kept pertaining to his personal research were painstakingly detailed. He was hoping someone who spent most of his life doing research might know _something _about the Philosopher's Stone. Edward looked at the piles of boxes containing books, scrolls and other documents and realized he more than had his work cut out for him.

"We're not expected to do this in one day Ed," his brother Alphonse gently reminded him. "The Colonel knows there is a lot of stuff here."

"Yeah," Edward agreed as he made a note of the dates the journal he was examining covered in the State Library's record book. The head librarian had given him a new volume within which to catalogue all of Mariner's work. He had thought – and rightly so – that the Mind Alchemist would have enough information to fill one of the Library's huge stacks all by himself.

The Fullmetal Alchemist was glad his brother was there to help. Not only was Alphonse great company but he was also a skilled Alchemist in his own right. It was only because Edward insisted on taking full responsibility for the botched transmutation that cost him an arm and a leg and left Alphonse a soul trapped in a suit of armor that Edward was the State Alchemist and Alphonse was a civilian. Now four years after that fateful night that changed their lives forever, Edward was _still _searching for the Philosopher's Stone and a way to restore their shattered bodies.

But after hours of going through musty old tomes and handwritten journals the two Elrics were no closer to finding any clues to the mysterious Stone. It was getting late and Edward's stomach was growling its emptiness. Alphonse chuckled because the noise Edward's belly was making echoed in the cavernous dungeon of a cellar they were in.

"SHUT UP!" Edward ordered his stomach but it ignored him and continued to burble loudly.

"Ed, why don't we take a break and get some food? It's not like all of this is going to walk away…" Alphonse suggested.

"I know but I don't feel like going to the mess hall. I want REAL FOOD not Army dren!"

"Well McFly's is nearby-"

"No money, Al," Edward stated cutting him short. He turned out his linty pockets for emphasis. "And I'll get laughed at AGAIN if I ask the Paymaster for an advance. So I'm stuck with Dren on Dry Toast until payday."

"Maybe the Colonel will lend you a couple of cenns."

"And maybe I'll win the State Lottery," Edward remarked. "Mustang wouldn't lend me money for take out. There is only one thing he'd ever pay for and even THAT he doesn't need to pay for because he gets it for free!"

"Oh, we're onto this again are we?" Alphonse commented dryly.

Edward sighed heavily. Mustang's love life wasn't anything he wanted to talk about but since everyone else in their unit talked about he couldn't help getting into the conversation. "Look, I'm with Havoc on this one. HOW does he do it? Girls fly to him like bees do to flowers. What is his secret?"

"Maybe he's just nice to them," Alphonse suggested.

"I'm nice to girls but you don't see them crawling all over me like a plush toy!"

"The only girl I've seen you be extra nice to is the one at Wu Fei's and that's because she's the chef's daughter!"

Edward made a face. "Yeah and because she thinks I'm cute I get extra egg rolls."

"That's my brother. Always thinking with his stomach!"

Edward grinned and pulled up his tank top to bare his well-defined abdomen. "Hey I was told this was one of my best features!"

"And your most sensitive!" Alphonse replied catching Edward off-guard and proceeding to tickle his brother's stomach until Edward was almost not breathing from laughing so hard.

"Not…fair!" Edward protested between gasps for air. "I can't tickle you back!"

"Not now, but someday you'll be able to get even," Alphonse promised.

Edward leaned back against his brother who was holding him gently in his metallic embrace. He gazed wistfully up into the glowing eyes in the armored head saying, "Yeah, and when that day comes, I will show you NO MERCY!"

The two laughed imagining the day when they could have a tickle fight like they used to when they were both young and whole and then an eerie silence fell upon the pair as the reality of their life now came crashing back down on them. Alphonse released his hold on Edward and the elder Elric gathered up a few scrolls that had fallen off the table during their horseplay. An old parchment one caught his eye and he opened it on the table using books to pin each corner down to keep it flat. The two brothers examined the document and a light shown in both their eyes as they figured out what it did.

"I gotta show this to the Colonel…" was all Edward said.

Colonel Roy Mustang was hip deep in one of his least favorite chores – paperwork. He despised the administrative aspects of his job. He preferred being in the field on the front lines _doing something_. He was the Flame Alchemist, the hero of the Eastern Rebellion. It was hard for him being cooped up in an office all day shuffling papers and reading the field reports from _other _officers. He had hoped that by moving up in the ranks he would get himself into a position to make a difference in how things got done. However it was hard for him to see himself making any positive contributions from his small office at Central HQ. He knew his people were doing a good job but he couldn't _see _the good they were doing. He could just only read about it….

The sound of the door to his office opening pulled Mustang from his reverie and he raised an eyebrow speculatively at the sight of the two Elrics striding into his office. Actually it was Edward who strided confidently up to his desk. Alphonse was a few steps behind looking as apologetic for the sudden intrusion as a man can when confined to a seven foot tall suit of steel armor.

"Don't they teach knocking in Resembool?" Mustang remarked.

"I didn't see a tie on the doorknob so I didn't think I was interrupting anything," Edward shot back.

Mustang hung his head. He's had sex in some odd places but had never brought ANY of his girlfriends to his office. And that Edward knew the universal signal for a "room in use" meant that he'd obviously lived the Army barracks for WAY too long.

"I think its time you moved to some more upscale housing," Mustang commented.

"On MY pay?" Edward retorted. "I can't afford to leave the dorms. Not unless you're giving me a raise…"

"When you EARN one maybe you'll get one," Mustang stated.

"Look after four years of YOU and your dren I think I've earned more than a cost of living increase!"

"Major Elric you wouldn't BE here if it wasn't for me."

"No, I'm here in your UNIT because of you," Edward corrected and pulling out his silver state issued Alchemist watch he added, "I got _this _because I passed the state exam!"

Mustang glared at him. Edward returned the hot stare. Alphonse knew they were closing in on "get out the ruler and measure it" time and decided to intervene before things got ugly. "Ed, I thought you came here to show the Colonel that neat scroll you found."

The distraction worked. Both officers forgot their quarrel and instead were focused on something they both loved – Alchemy. Mustang quickly gathered up all the folders and loose papers from his desk and set them aside so Edward could open the scroll for him to see. Both of them were examining it in fascination. Alphonse edged closer so he could see the two of them actually _enjoying _doing something together. The two of them looked like children seeing a butterfly for the first time. The look of wonder and joy on both their faces was a pleasure to see.

"You want to try it?" Edward ventured.

"Well, yes, but this symbol here indicates that the person who initially activates the circle is the one whose memory will be broadcast over the center ring," Mustang said indicating the marking he had found within the intricate design.

"So we have to pick who goes first," Edward said simply and Mustang nodded. Edward grinned wickedly stating, "Well, age before beauty!"

"Eat me!" Mustang spat as he powered up the circle.

The familiar glowing yellow white lights and eerie fog of alchemic power began to fill the air above the circle. The symbols of power from within the scroll glowed and their eerie light reflected off the smoky haze. Mustang and Edward's attention were focused on the heart of the circle where images began to appear. First an attractive Asian woman helping a young boy who looked like her and his Western father take his first steps, then a handsome Eurasian man in Army blues getting Lieutenant's bars pinned to his uniform, again the same young man all smiles as he is cuddled in bed between two pretty buxom blonde twins, and on it goes.

Edward knew the young man he was seeing was the same man who was standing across from him fueling the circle's power. It seemed Roy was a player even when he was Ed's age. It wasn't fair! Maybe it was that his mother came from Xing and he got from her those exotic good looks. Or he really was _that _good in bed. If he only knew what Mustang's secret was maybe he could bottle it and share it with Havoc, who was seriously in need of a date. Maybe the memory scroll they were using might give him a clue. Edward focused on the images before him hoping they would give him the answer to some of the puzzle that was Roy Mustang.

Suddenly the glowing light changed from sunny white yellow to a menacing blood red. Edward has seen this effect before and the last time a casting went this wrong it had nearly cost him and his brother their lives. The Colonel knew something was going wrong and tried to pull out but it was impossible for him to withdraw. Edward clapped his hands together to charge his own alchemical power and attempted to break the circle's hold on Mustang.

The last thing either Edward or the Colonel saw was a blinding flash of pure white light…

Chapter Two 

Edward's head felt like two men with jackhammers had decided to try and open up his skull. The pain was almost as bad as when he got his nerves reconnected after an Automail adjustment. He covered his face with his hands and moaned. However the pain suddenly became a secondary concern when he felt two flesh and blood hands covering his face instead of just one. He opened his eyes and saw his Automail right hand was gone and instead he had two flesh and blood hands.

What the…?

He glanced down and saw he was in a hospital bed with an IV tube going into his chest. He had another one in his right forearm and leads to some machines were taped to his chest. He saw a device that monitored heart and blood pressure beeping off to the right of him and the oxygen tube that fed air into his lungs via his nasal passages made his upper lip itch. He pulled the oxygen tube off his face and moved to sit up but a stabbing pain in his gut made him think the better of it. He slid the blanket that covered him up to his armpits down and saw he was bandaged up from below the nipples to his waist.

Edward lifted the blanket further to see his legs. Both were human and seemed untouched by whatever had gotten him in the gut. He also noticed he was a lot _taller _than he had been before he blacked out. He had never heard of an alchemical explosion that could restore lost limbs and make someone grow taller but apparently that is what happened to him. He tentatively touched his face, which had a bandage over one cheek and then felt his head. His long braid was gone and the short hair felt silky to the touch. His thick hair never felt that nice. He glanced around the room trying to see if there was a reflective surface anywhere so he could see just what had happened to him.

The polished chrome of the IV stand caught his eye and the face he saw staring back at him through the mirrored surface made him gasp. He was completely human because he wasn't Edward Elric anymore. The face staring back at him in the chrome belonged to none other than Colonel Roy Mustang!

"What the frell…?" he breathed aloud grasping at his throat as sound of a voice that wasn't his own hit his ears. "This can't be happening. If I'm in here, does that mean the Colonel…?"

Before Edward could finish the thought the door to his hospital room opened and Captain Hawkeye entered followed a little too closely by Edward and Alphonse Elric. Alphonse looked uncertain while Edward looked both angry and determined. Edward noticed that his body was also damaged – his Automail arm was in a sling – but it seemed he had fared better than the Colonel did. Considering Mustang was at ground zero for whatever went south with the casting it made sense that he would be bearing the brunt of the trauma. Edward felt like he was having an out of body experience as he sat there looking at himself fume.

"This is YOUR FAULT!" Edward heard himself declare. "If you hadn't interfered-"

"We'd both be dead – or worse!" Edward as the Colonel shot back. "That red glow didn't mean we were casting at sunset. The circle was rebounding!"

"Why didn't you just break my contact?"

"I DID!"

"Then why did this happen?" Roy as Edward said pointing at himself but it looked to everyone else like he was indicating his broken Automail arm.

"I don't know! I'll have to look at the scroll to see what we botched."

"That isn't going to be possible Colonel," Hawkeye interjected calmly. "The explosion you were caught in destroyed half your office. You are lucky to be alive."

"The scroll is GONE!" Edward as Roy cried.

Hawkeye rolled her eyes. She hated to be the bearer of bad news but whatever piece of paper had been on the Colonel's desk was now ash along with the files he was _supposed _to be working on. "Colonel everything made of paper within ten feet of your desk is now a cinder. YOUR DESK is a cinder. The two of YOU are lucky you AREN'T cinders!" Hawkeye stated only raising her voice in places to emphasis how grave the situation is. "You are lucky the High Command thinks you were hit by a terrorist bomb. If they knew the truth you'd both be in the brig. Performing Alchemy experiments outside of a lab is forbidden and you BOTH KNOW THAT! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!"

Both officers were cringing. Roy as Edward and Edward as Roy both looked like a pair of errant schoolboys. Alphonse sighed. If they got turned in both of them would lose their licenses. This was serious.

"Captain, you aren't going to tell on them are you?" Alphonse ventured.

Hawkeye's expression was a lot gentler when she turned to face Alphonse. "No, I'm not going to tell on them Al," she said then added glaring at the two men, "Although they DESERVE IT! That was an incredibly stupid thing to do! And you both know better!"

"Sorry," the two officers said in unison hanging their heads in shame.

"Well, at least all the damage done is fixable," she said looking at the two Alchemists. "Edward has to see his mechanic and you Colonel are going to be in bed for a while."

Edward as Roy attempted to get up but the searing pain prevented him from doing much more than shifting onto his side. "What hit me?" Edward as Roy dared to ask.

"What didn't?" Hawkeye snapped and Edward as Roy sank back into the pillow closing his eyes.

"Please don't be mad at him," Alphonse said. "It was an accident."

"No, she's right," Roy as Edward said. "We should have taken that scroll to one of the Alchemy Labs to test it. That's why the labs are there."

"Guess we screwed the pooch this time," Edward as Roy remarked.

"Yeah, we did and without that scroll I'm not sure how we can undo our mistake!"

Edward as Roy looked into those determined gold eyes and stated, "There has to be something in one of Silas's journals about that scroll. It was with his research and considering the kind of records he kept its logical to assume an answer is in there somewhere."

"That may be but you aren't in a position to go back into the library and find it."

Edward as Roy sighed. "I know I can't but after Winry repairs your arm _you _can do it."

Roy as Edward looked at the non-working Automail limb and asked, "What does it mean when I can't feel my fingers?"

"Part of the neural net has become detached and that means the main damage is up inside the shoulder mounting. Can you move the hand?"

Roy as Edward attempted to make a fist but only some of the fingers responded. "It's sort of working and what does work hurts."

"You better let Winry know that you got messed up in an explosion and NOT out fighting or you'll add a concussion to your list of woes," Edward as Roy warned him.

"I'll keep that in mind."

Hawkeye looked at the two Alchemists curiously and asked the Colonel, "Since when do you know so much about Automail?"

"I don't!" Edward as Roy stated suddenly realizing that Hawkeye didn't know about the identity switch. "I mean I know some stuff but I'm no expert. After four years of dealing with him I learned a few things."

"Yeah," Roy as Edward put in realizing the same thing Edward had. "The Colonel's been reading up on the stuff."

Hawkeye shrugged not sure if she was buying that load of dren but there didn't seem to be any other way to explain how the Colonel could know about how Edward was wired. "Well, the two of you managed to find a way to keep yourselves out of Central. General Hakuro has Major Armstrong filling in until Edward gets his arm repaired then Major Elric will have the joy of filling in for you until you are well enough to come back to work."

"What?" both Roy and Edward cried in unison.

The look they got from her made them both backpedal swiftly and regroup.

"I'm covering for him?" Roy as Edward queried.

"How hard can it be shuffling papers all day long?" Edward as Roy remarked.

"That isn't all there is to the job!"

"Oh? Could've fooled me," came Edward as Roy's snide retort.

"Look COLONEL," Roy as Edward began pointedly his expression hard. "There is more to the job of running Central command than paperwork!"

"And I'm sure you'll have no problem doing said job," Edward as Roy replied smoothly.

Roy as Edward glared at the smug man lying in the bed before him. Through gritted teeth he said quietly so only Edward as Roy could hear, "Don't get too comfy in there!"

Edward as Roy only smiled. "Have a nice trip to Resembool."

"Eat dren!" he spat and turned on his heel and left with Alphonse clamoring to keep up.

Once Edward and Alphonse were gone Hawkeye commented, "You really shouldn't let him talk to you like that."

Edward as Roy shrugged. "He's pissed and just needed to vent. Besides I'm off-duty now anyway."

"Now you are but he has a long record of behaving badly."

"He also has a long record for getting things done."

Hawkeye couldn't deny the truth of that. "Still he needs to start acting like an officer. He's not a kid anymore."

"Ed stopped being a kid when he passed the State Alchemist exam," Edward as Roy pointed out. "It's about time everyone got with the program on this fact."

Hawkeye cast him a hard look. "Edward is sixteen years old."

"And?"

"And he never had a childhood. He never had all the things that we did."

"Maybe _you _had a happy childhood Captain but I was an Alchemist's apprentice. I was inside studying while the rest of you were out playing tag."

"It wasn't all work Roy," she said in a tone that made Edward as Roy turn to face her. "My father was a strict taskmaster but he did let you have some space."

_Hawkeye's father was the Colonel's sensei?_ Edward was doing all he could not to let the shock of this revelation show on his borrowed face. So she knows about Alchemy but can't – or doesn't - practice it. _Is she a squib…?_

Hawkeye saw his eyes go distant and she asked, "Roy what is it? What's wrong?"

"Just how much Alchemy did your father let you see?"

"Pretty much whatever he was working on. Why?"

"Because I am not sure what your weirdness quotient is."

Hawkeye's jaw dropped. Weirdness quotient? She had _never _heard the Colonel use that phrase. That was one of Edward's more famous expressions when he was about to unload some strangeness on them. And he was good at finding all the weird things that existed in their world.

"I think Edward's beginning to rub off on you," she commented dryly.

"More than you know," he fired back.

She chuckled softly. "Okay. What bid of oddness have you uncovered?"

"The scroll that blew up in my face. It…did something to me."

She raised an eyebrow. "What kind of something?"

"Let's just say ever since that happened I haven't quite been myself."

Hawkeye wasn't sure what he meant by that. The explosion banged him up pretty good but he managed to escape suffering serious head trauma. He had a nasty concussion and she was sure his head was throbbing something fierce but he was managing to handle that pain quite well. Judging by the exchange she saw him have with Edward the Colonel still appeared to be in his usual rare form. If there was something different about him it wasn't obvious…. yet.

"Okay, I'll bite," she said approaching him.

Her demeanor was more casual and friendly than he was used to seeing but Edward realized that she wouldn't be this way around _him_. She was Roy Mustang's friend. And _he _was now Roy Mustang! She dropped the rail on the right side of his bed so she could sit on the edge near him. Hawkeye was so close now he could smell her perfume. _Captain Hawkeye wears PERFUME? _ Edward had never gotten near enough to discover THAT about her. Edward knew she was Roy's friend but were they friends or "friends with benefits"? Edward hoped it was the former because he didn't think he could handle the latter!

"What feels different?" she prompted.

"It's hard to explain," Edward as Roy began. "And I have a feeling you'd think I was crazy if I told you what I was experiencing."

"Roy I know you aren't crazy," she reassured him. "Crazy things have _happened_ to you but I know _you _are quite sane."

"So if I told you I switched places with someone you'd believe me…right?"

"Switched places? What do you mean?"

"They're living my life and I'm living theirs."

"Someone is out there being you?" she cried. "How?"

"No, it's not like that. I'm still here in the hospital. There isn't anybody out on the streets disguised as me. What happened is everyone is seeing Roy Mustang but the person _inside _this body isn't Roy!"

Hawkeye looked puzzled for a moment then dared to ask, "If you aren't Roy Mustang then who are you?"

"Edward Elric."

She blinked. "What?"

Edward as Roy endeavored to explain. "That scroll I was examining was supposed to allow an Alchemist to share his memories with another person. It was going fine until for some unexplained reason it started to rebound. Roy couldn't break contact with it so I tried to sever the connection forcibly and it blew up in our faces. When the dust settled and I woke up I was in here and Roy is in my body. For some reason messing with that circle made us able to trade a whole lot more than memories. _We traded lives!_"

Riza Hawkeye wasn't sure if what she was hearing was not only true but also possible. She knew Alchemy was a powerful thing and had seen and heard of a lot of odd things being done with it but this was beyond anything in her experience. "You asked about my weirdness quotient? Well it's just been met."

"This isn't a joke!" he declared.

"Then prove it," she challenged. "Tell me something only Edward Elric would know."

"Just how much do you know about Edward Elric?" he challenged back.

"Enough to know if I was talking to the real thing or a pretender," she replied. "And just because I don't _do _Alchemy doesn't mean I don't know it when I see it or hear it so no tricks. Understand?"

He nodded. She sat there on the bed eyeing him expectantly and Edward had to think of _something _to say or do to prove he was who he said he was. He wanted to do some Alchemy – even something basic – but something told him he couldn't complete his circle internally anymore. He would have to use a drawn circle – or Roy's gloves – to do any Alchemy while he was in his borrowed form. He wondered if Roy was having the same problem he was getting used to being in a body that was not his own….


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Three

Roy as Edward was still fuming as he packed a few changes of clothes and toiletries into the small suitcase he found under Edward's bed. The quarters the brothers shared in the barracks were a lot nicer than the place Roy had stayed in when he was a young officer. He noticed Edward didn't have much in the way of clothing and the black outfit that more or less passed as his uniform was replicated in a few different forms. There was the crop jacket that zipped up, or the one that had a metal bar closure or the simple one with the open tab collar – which was the one he liked best. He had several versions of his familiar red coat in various conditions and it was the one that looked the least worn that he chose to wear for his trip to Resembool.

He had no idea what he was going to say to Winry. She was not only Edward's mechanic but also his childhood friend. She was going to know something was wrong the minute she started talking about anything from their past. And Alphonse was already getting suspicious and it had only been a few hours. Roy had known from the second he discovered he and Edward had swapped places that keeping the switch from Al was going to be nearly next to impossible.

Alphonse watched in silence as his brother sat down on the bed with a heavy sigh. Edward had been acting strange ever since he woke up in the base's hospital. Other than a mild concussion and his broken Automail arm Edward was okay. It was the Colonel who had nearly been killed in the blast. And it was the Colonel that Edward had to see the second the doctors released him from the ER. Al had seen his brother in one of his determined rampages before but it had been a long time since he'd seen Edward this fired up.  
"Ed, what's wrong?" Alphonse asked concerned.

Roy as Edward looked up at the lumbering armored figure looming over him and swore he could feel Alphonse's concern. He knew how close the two brothers were and, although he had a slim chance of fooling Winry Rockbell, he knew he had to tell Alphonse the truth.

"The explosion…it-it changed me," Edward began not able to meet the younger Elric's eyes. "I'm not who I appear to be."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I'm not Ed."

"That's ridiculous!" Alphonse declared. "Of course you are!"

"No, I'm not," Roy as Edward insisted. "When the circle started to rebound I couldn't pull out and Edward used his power to break the link. His doing that not only caused that explosion but also somehow caused us to trade more than memories. We traded places!"

Alphonse looked puzzled. "You mean…you're the Colonel?"

He nodded. "Yes. When Edward interfered with that circle it did something that made us switch. Trouble is without that scroll I'm not sure if we'll be able to switch back."

Alphonse pondered the problem for a long moment before suggesting, "There might be something in one of Silas's journals. He did keep very good records on everything he worked on."

"We just have to hope that scroll was one of his projects because if it wasn't-"

"Try to stay optimistic Colonel," Alphonse interrupted. "You're going to get your own body back. It just may take a little while."

"So until then you are stuck with me," Roy as Edward stated with a wry grin.

"It won't be so bad. There is no way you can be as grouchy as Ed!" Alphonse told him.

"Thanks."

"We'd better get going or we'll miss the train."

Roy as Edward nodded and put his good arm through the sleeve of the familiar red coat and rested the shoulder of the coat so it covered his injured arm. The sling wasn't uncomfortable but how his arm was fitted into it made a bulky bulge under the right side of the coat. He was experiencing some very odd sensations in the Automail arm. It was numb, sore, tingling, and itchy. He had no idea how a mechanical arm could itch when it couldn't register touch but it did. This was one aspect of Edward's life Roy found a bit unsettling.

The two of them made it to the train and settled into their car without any more attention than usual. And usual for the pair were the stares Alphonse got for being in that shiny suit of armor. A modern day knight and squire is what we look like, Roy thought to himself. They were in a Pullman car – the kind where the berths were seats by day and converted to beds at night – and Roy made a mental note to thank whoever booked these accommodations for them. He was tired, sore and a little queasy. Having a real bed to stretch out on was going to feel very good.

"How long does it take to get to Resembool?" Roy as Edward asked.

"It would be half a day by train if there was such a thing as an express between here and home," Alphonse told him. "But because of all the stops we're going to be riding until about this time tomorrow."

"Well, Edward always said if there was a bright spot on the map of Amestris Resembool is the place it's the farthest from."

Alphonse chuckled. "It is a small town, sir."

Roy as Edward looked up at the armored brother saying, "You are going to have to forget I'm not your brother. No one can know about what happened. Not even Miss Rockbell."

"Winry is going to know you're not Ed the minute you open your mouth."

"Not necessarily."

"Trust me. She'll know. You don't even sit in a chair like Ed does!"

Roy glanced down at how he was positioned on the bench. He didn't see anything odd about how he was seated. He looked up at Alphonse with a puzzled expression.

"Colonel, you sit like a soldier. Even how that coat is covering your arm is how I've seen the army guys cover their wounded arms. You've been in the army so long you probably forgot how to slouch," Alphonse explained. "Ed may be in the army but he isn't army if you know what I mean."

"So I need to learn how to slouch?"

"And be less neat about how you look. I mean my brother isn't a slob or anything but he doesn't always walk around looking like he just came from the tailor shop."

Roy as Edward sighed. "Maybe during our long trip you can teach me the finer points of being a sixteen year old slacker."

Alphonse laughed. "I'll do my best."

The Colonel grinned. This was going to be a very interesting trip….

Chapter Four

Edward as Roy sighed. It wasn't easy but he managed to convince Captain Hawkeye he wasn't the Colonel. There was no way in the world Roy Mustang could recite from memory the precise ingredients that made up a human body. That level of Alchemy geekiness was something he – Edward Elric – made famous. This was one time when Edward was glad he was such a nerd. Otherwise there would have been no really conclusive way for him to prove his identity to her.

She had promised to keep the situation under her hat for the time being and that made Edward feel a little more relaxed. Even if the switch hadn't happened there wasn't a whole lot Roy could do from a hospital bed. So the trade was not going to adversely affect anything going on at Central. Edward had a feeling it was because he was going to have so little impact on Army life in his present condition that the Captain decided to let things go for the moment. The only thing Edward had to worry about was keeping up appearances if any of the Colonel's friends came to pay him a visit.

Lucky for him Edward knew a few of the Colonel's friends. He also knew that the people from their unit would no doubt stop by to keep him up to date on what's going on back at HQ. He grinned at the thought of Havoc finally having a chance of hooking up with one of the pretty girls from Central's secretarial pool. Without Roy around as a distraction Havoc actually had a chance of scoring himself a date. Edward was seriously contemplating milking his misery for all it was worth to give his friend the opportunity to get his ashes hauled.

The dim glow of the street lamps cast a soft yellow glow in the dark room. Edward could see from the time stamp on his heart monitor that it was after eight o'clock. If anyone were going to be visiting him on their way home after the shift it would be around now they'd be knocking on his door. As much as he would like to see the gang from HQ, Edward wasn't sure his acting skills were up to the challenge. Pretending to be Roy was not as easy as he had previously thought. Finding out his Sensei was Hawkeye's Dad was one bombshell that had caught him completely off-guard. The gods alone only knew what other secrets from Roy's past were going to make him do a double take.

A timid knock on his door followed by a more urgent banging caught Edward's attention. He worked hard not to laugh when the door fell open and Havoc, Breda, and Feury stumbled their way into the room barely managing to keep their footing. The more stoic Warrant Officer Falman was with them but had followed behind at a discreet distance looking as upright and sharp as he did back at HQ. Didn't this guy ever relax? Edward tried to put that thought aside as the bumbling trio made their way to his bedside.

"Feeling better sir?" Feury asked trying to hide how much the Colonel intimidated him.

"Relax, Kain," Edward as Roy said gently. "I'm going to be just fine."

"Bomb squad is still in your office Roy," Havoc told him. "They haven't a clue what hit you!"

"Did you see the bomb?" Breda asked.

Edward as Roy shook his head. "The last thing I remember seeing was a blinding flash of white hot light. Then I woke up here."

"Ed and Al got out okay. Ed's Automail got damaged though so he's going to see his mechanic. Al went with him of course," Feury told him.

"I know. They were here earlier. They should be back in a couple of days. How is Major Armstrong doing?"

Havoc rolled his eyes and the others just glanced away. "Do you want the party line or the truth?" Havoc asked.

Edward as Roy laughed. "Guess he is making all of you appreciate me."

"We love you Colonel!" Feury blurted out. "Please hurry up and get better!"

Havoc shot Feury a withering look and Edward as Roy had to work at stifling a laugh. He knew why Havoc was tweaked at his teammate and it amused him to no end. "I'll come back to HQ when Havoc here gets himself a steady girlfriend."

Havoc blushed and the others laughed.

"Guess we aren't going to be seeing you for a long while!" cracked Breda.

"SHUT UP!" Havoc snapped.

"Look, I'm going to be off the market for a while so I'm ordering you to find someone nice and take her out!" Edward as Roy commanded Havoc.

If Havoc had had his usual cigarette in his mouth it would have fallen to the floor. Even so the slack jawed expression he had leveled on the Colonel at that moment made everyone fall silent. Roy had never ordered him to do anything that even smelled of social able. Now he was being told to get a girlfriend? Well he did get hit pretty hard on the head, Havoc thought to himself. Maybe that is why he is being so nice.

"Don't worry, sir. We'll make sure he gets some," Breda promised.

Feury blushed pink and Havoc glared at Breda who just grinned back enjoying the chance to needle the young Lieutenant.

"You're awfully quiet Mr. Falman," Edward as Roy said looking past the trio to the erect silver haired man standing a few feet behind them. "Do you have anything you'd like to say?"

"No, sir. I just wish to give you this." The Warrant Officer stated handing Edward as Roy a card and a bouquet of fresh cut flowers.

"Flowers Mr. Falman?"

"Hospital personnel informed me flowers and get well cards are appropriate to give to a sick companion, sir."

"They are so long as the recipient isn't allergic."

Edward as Roy actually saw a crack in the Warrant Officer's stiff posture. For a moment he actually looked flustered. "Allergic? Sorry sir I will get rid of-"

Before Falman could take away the flowers Edward as Roy prevented him from doing so by interrupting quickly, "I'm NOT allergic to flowers Mr. Falman. I was only making a point that it's a good idea to know a little something about a person BEFORE you bring them gifts. But your kindness is appreciated. Thank you."

Falman actually looked surprised. Pleasantly surprised. "You are welcome, sir," he said after a long pause.

_And Mustang has the nerve to say I don't have any manners,_ Edward thought to himself._ I don't think he appreciates all these people who are so unflinchingly loyal to him. Well, while I'm in here that's going to change!_

"Would one of you guys mind finding out if they have a pot to put these in?" Edward asked the assembled soldiers.

"You mean a vase, sir," Feury gently corrected him.

Edward as Roy shrugged. "Whatever. Just something that holds water so these things won't die."

Feury chuckled softly to himself and said, "I'll get you a vase, sir."

The little officer left and the trio who remained eyed their commanding officer speculatively.

"Okay, what really happened?" Havoc prompted.

Edward as Roy looked up at him. "Come again?"

"The bomb guys didn't find one snippet of shrapnel," Breda explained. "So what blew up wasn't any kind of normal bomb. The only people in the office were three Alchemists and two of them have reps for making stuff go boom. So…you gonna tell us the real story or do we have to get rough?"

"Nothing you can do, Roy," Havoc pointed out grinning wickedly. "Your gloves are over there."

Edward as Roy saw the pair of ignition cloth gloves lying on top of the dresser on the opposite side of the room. "Only an idiot would light a fire in a room with OXYGEN FLOWING!" Edward as Roy pointed out heatedly. "Which is why you, Havoc, can't smoke in here!"

"Yeah and being without my smokes is making me cranky," Havoc said in a mock menacing tone. "So, let's here it. What the frack were you and Fullmetal up to?"

"Nothing. We were just discussing the works of Silas Mariner, the Mind Alchemist."

"Talking doesn't blow stuff up," Breda pointed out.

"Depends on who you are talking to!" Edward as Roy countered.

"Fullmetal does have an explosive personality," cracked Havoc. In a more serious tone he added, "So…you aren't going to tell us, are you?"

Edward as Roy met his gaze. "I'm sorry, Jean. I can't."

"I had a feeling he was going to say that," Breda commented.

"You can trust us," Havoc promised.

"I already gave my full report on the incident to Captain Hawkeye," Edward as Roy told all of them. "IF she thinks you need to know, then she will tell you!"

"Why did you have to tell her?" Havoc wailed. "She's the last person in Central who'd pass along a good story! Gods, Roy, what were you thinking?"

"I was thinking about my commission!" Edward as Roy retorted. "I like my job. I would like to keep my job! And letting the biggest gossips in Central find out what I did wrong to get myself almost killed is NOT in my best interest professionally speaking! GOT IT?"

Havoc and Breda actually had the decency to hang their heads in shame. Falman looked like he was stifling a grin. Feury returned at that moment and cast a puzzled look at his teammates.

"What did I miss?" he queried as he took the flowers from the Colonel and put them in the vase of water. He set the decorative object on the small nightstand beside Roy's bed.

"These morons trying to wrangle state secrets out of me," Edward as Roy explained.

Feury quickly guessed what "state secret" his CO was talking about and remarked, "Let it go, you two. It's none of your business how the Colonel almost killed himself."

"Gee thanks Kain," Edward as Roy replied sarcastically.

"Well, look on the bright side. Your office is going to get a makeover!" Feury told him.

Edward as Roy glared at him through slitted eyes. "A what?"

Feury blushed. Maybe that wasn't the best choice of words, he thought to himself.

"Your office is to be redesigned to maximize efficiency," Warrant Officer Falman stated.

Edward as Roy turned his narrow-eyed gaze to the silver-haired man. "Maximize efficiency? Whose bright idea was this?"

"General Hakuro sir."

"I think the General has too much time on his hands if he's getting into interior design," Edward as Roy remarked.

His men snickered. Havoc said, "You're getting new furniture. Not too much wrong with that."

"As long as they leave my library alone it won't be a problem."

"None of your books were damaged Colonel," Feury reassured him. "I think they'll leave that part of your office alone."

"Speaking of books, Colonel. Would you want us to bring you some? To pass the time?" Falman offered.

"I would but what I am interested in reading you won't be able to get me," Edward as Roy stated. "None of you are State Alchemists so you can't raid the alchemical library on my behalf."

"Well, Major Armstrong could-"

"No, he's got better things to do right now," Edward as Roy said cutting him short. "No, when Edward gets back I'll send him along with my library card and a list."

"Ed's going to love that," Havoc commented dryly.

"Actually he will like this assignment. The library is one destination he actually likes to visit!"

Havoc was going to say something about Edward's level of nerdiness but never got the chance because his train of thought was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Captain Hawkeye. She was carrying a small stack of sealed legal sized envelopes upon which "Eyes Only" was emblazoned on the front. Havoc and Feury stepped aside so that she could stand next to the Colonel's bedside.

Edward as Roy noticed what she was holding and asked, "For me?"

"Sorry sir but Major Armstrong doesn't have the proper security codes to access these files," she explained.

"Yeah, well, I'm not sure I do either right now," Edward as Roy commented with a wry grin.

She raised an eyebrow and was about to say the codes needed were ones he had memorized but thought the better of it. Major Elric doesn't know these codes either, she remembered. She had seen Roy jot the correct series of letters and numbers down enough times to know the proper sequence but she couldn't reveal that knowledge to the present company.

Smiling she said, "You do have these codes here. It's just that, right now, they are as accessible to you as your gloves."

"Oh."

She placed the pile of envelopes gently on his lap saying, "I'll get you the code book."

Edward as Roy glanced down at the pile on his lap stated, "What happened to my medical leave?"

"Looks like it just got canceled!" Breda cracked.

Havoc clapped him on the shoulder saying, "Sucks to be you Roy."

"Get out of here before I roast you!"

Havoc backed off and still grinning wickedly retorted, "Getting blown up once wasn't enough, huh?"

The pillow Edward as Roy hurled at Havoc's departing head missed him by a nanosecond. It clumped harmlessly against the door and slid to the floor with a soft plop. Falman quickly retrieved the tossed item and tucked it back under the Colonel's head. Being mothered by the Warrant Officer was kinda creepy but Edward didn't say anything. The only thought running through Edward's head, as Falman made him comfortable in bed was that the Warrant Officer was one strange dude…


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Five

The sun was just setting when the train pulled into the small station at Resembool. Roy as Edward and Alphonse were not too surprised to find that they were the only ones getting off for this stop. Alphonse was carrying Ed's small brown suitcase and Roy used his good arm to hold closed the red coat so it wouldn't blow off in the wind. He vaguely remembered the way to the Rockbell house but was more than willing to follow Al's lead. He was tired and sore and was looking forward to getting the automail arm repaired. Every time he shifted position one of the damaged wires would either connect or disconnect sending either stabbing pains down the length of his arm or the tingling of numbness in his hand. Any sympathy he had for Edward being stuck in his injured body was completely gone by the end of his first – and only – night in malfunctioning automail.

The Rockbell house was a couple of miles from the train and, with no sign of anything resembling public transport in sight, the duo began hoofing it down a long and winding dirt road that lead out into the farmland.

"IS there such a thing as a taxi in this town?" Mustang asked.

Alphonse chuckled. "No, not really. Once, when we came home during a rainstorm, Ed and I managed once to catch a ride to Winry's with the milkman but that was when we got here just after dawn."

"Place rolls its sidewalks up after dark, huh," Roy remarked.

"Pretty much."

Roy as Edward paused just before they reached the edge of town. "Shouldn't we call and let the Rockbell's know we're coming?"

"That is something YOU would do," Alphonse pointed out. "Edward just shows up on the doorstep."

"Maybe THAT'S why he gets a wrench thrown at his head. For being rude!"

Alphonse laughed. "And here I was thinking its because he keeps wrecking Winry's automail!"

The two of them shared a laugh at Edward's expense and Roy asked, "Seriously though. Should we call ahead?"

"It would be the right thing to do but we can't. It would make Winry suspicious. And you don't want her to know you're not Ed."

Roy nodded in understanding. "Okay, so we just show up. Anything I should be aware of, other than being ready to duck?"

Alphonse thought for a moment. "Well, sometimes Granny likes to make fun of Ed. And he makes fun of her back. I guess you'd call it an insult contest."

"Great. Any other sophomoric things your brother does on these visits?"

Alphonse laughed again. "Well, we ARE kids after all!"

Roy as Edward rolled his eyes. "Yeah, so I keep having to tell myself."

Alphonse gave his human shoulder an affectionate squeeze. "It won't be so bad. Besides, Granny is a great cook. I'm sure it's been a long time since you ate a home cooked meal Colonel."

Roy nodded in agreement. "Very true. And you are going to have to remember to call me Ed. Your friends don't know what happened and we have to keep it that way!"

"Sorry," Alphonse said a little sheepishly. "This would have been easier if you hadn't told me the truth."

"No, it wouldn't have because from the moment I woke up in the hospital you knew something was wrong. I wasn't acting like Ed. Fooling people who don't know Edward very well is one thing. I didn't see any way I could make you think I was your brother."

Alphonse realized the truth of his words and replied, "I guess telling me was the only choice you had. And I promise to call you Ed from now on."

Roy as Edward smiled at him. "Yeah, and I guess I'm going to find out what it's like to have a brother."

If Alphonse were capable of smiling he would have at that moment. As they continued walking toward Winry's he asked, "So, you don't have a brother. Do you have a sister?"

"Yes, two younger sisters."

"So, you're a big brother. Just like Ed."

Roy smiled slightly at that realization. "Yeah. I guess I am at that."

It was dark by the time they made it to Winry's home. The windows on the first floor were all lit and through the clear glass Alphonse and Roy could see Winry walking back and forth across the floor. The two of them quietly climbed the wooden steps and crossed the porch to the door. Roy found the bell and rang it.

They heard shuffling coming from the other side of the door and Roy squinted when it opened flashing the bright light from the entranceway lamp directly into his eyes.

"Ed? Al!" Winry cried her voice a combination of surprise and joy at seeing her old friends. "What are you-"

She stopped short when she caught a glimpse of Edward's automail arm in a sling. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY AUTOMAIL!" she roared at him.

Roy as Edward ducked behind the large armored figure making sure to stay out of wrench range of Winry.

"It wasn't his fault!" Alphonse explained hastily. "There was an explosion in the Colonel's office and we both got hit by it!"

"Explosion?" she queried her tone much calmer. "Like a bomb?"

"Um, kinda, yeah."

"What happened to the Colonel?"

"He's in the hospital," Roy as Edward explained daring to peek from around Al's bulk. "He was almost killed. High command thinks it was terrorists."

Winry's mouth made a silent O. She looked at Ed and then up at Al and said quietly, "Come in. We were fixing to have supper. You know you are both welcome to join us."

Roy as Edward looked up at Al, "Is it safe?"

"Yes, Ed. She isn't going to crown you. THIS time!" Alphonse reassured him.

Roy as Edward stepped into the house wiping his dusty feet on the mat before stepping onto the clean wooden floor. Winry raised an eyebrow at him speculatively as he quietly made his way into the dining room. He saw an extra place was made for him at the table and he hung his red coat on the back of the chair.

Winry noticed the skillful way his arm was trussed up and stated more than asked, "You came here right from the hospital."

Roy as Edward nodded. "Yes, we were on the first train we could get after I was released from the ER. The doctor thought the arm was better in than out."

"Was it knocked out of the socket?"

"Not sure. I was knocked out from the blast and when I came to I found myself already taped up like this."

"Well, I'll take a look at it after we eat. You must be starving!"

"Well, it was a long trip and train food is a contradiction in terms."

She laughed. "So is Army food but you somehow manage to eat that!"

"Not by choice."

She laughed again.

Pinako Rockbell entered the dining room carrying a casserole dish that she laid in the center of the table on a trivet. The smells coming from the steaming dish made Roy as Edward's stomach growl audibly.

"Well, the prodigal son has returned," Pinako commented in a tone of mock tartness. "What did you break this time?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Roy as Edward shot back indicating the sling on his arm.

"Well, you aren't the only person Winry has to take care of you know!"

"I know, but this wasn't my fault!"

Pinako stopped in mid-jibe and looked at Edward. He was serious. Alphonse also looked like he wasn't in a joking mood either. Pinako changed gears and asked, "How did it happen?"

"Al and I were caught in an explosion in the Colonel's office. He's in the hospital in serious condition and I'm here to get my arm repaired."

"So, your boss almost got himself blown up. How?"

"They're still investigating," Roy as Edward said. Which was true, even though he knew the boom squad wasn't going to find anything. When he got back he had a feeling both he and Edward were going to have a lot of explaining to do.

"Well, at least you didn't break anything that can't be fixed," Pinako said ending all talk on the subject. "Well, don't just sit there! Tuck in!"

Roy as Edward didn't need to be told twice. He WAS hungry and the food looked delicious. He put a heaping ladle full of stew on his plate, grabbed one of the warm rolls from the bread basket and proceeded to stuff his face in a very Edwardly fashion. Alphonse tried not to laugh but he had to admit the Colonel was doing an excellent impression of his brother at that moment. Hopefully he'll be able to keep this up until we have to leave, Alphonse though to himself.

Luckily he was allowed to clean his plate once before anyone started asking him about what he'd been up to since he came home for repairs. While he was digging into seconds and wondering if the body he was in possessed more than one stomach, Roy as Edward was assailed with many questions about how he'd been passing the time since his last visit. Fortunately for Roy he knew EXACTLY what Fullmetal had been up to because he was the one who'd given him all of his assignments. This was the one part of his impersonation that proceeded flawlessly as he described the many people, places and things Edward had encountered in the name of duty. He did bring up the few detours he knew Edward made in his pursuit of clues about the Philosopher's Stone because he was sure his friends would want to know about any progress he had made on his quest.

As he polished off a large helping of Granny's blueberry pie, Roy as Edward sighed feeling full and contented. This was the best meal he'd had in a long time. He felt his stomach beginning to give off the signs a good solid belch was on its way and was wondering if he should let loose or suppress it.

Thankfully Alphonse must have sensed what he was thinking because he announced, "On our last encampment Edward won fifty cenns because he belched the entire alphabet!"

Pinako rolled her eyes and Wiry laughed. "Same old Ed!" she remarked.

Roy as Edward let the gas roll forth and proceeded to belch out almost all of the Amestris pledge to the flag. He hung his head in defeat because he missed getting out the last few words and Alphonse patted his back consolingly.

"If you had had more seltzer water you might have made it Ed!" Alphonse told him.

"I'll remember that for next time," Roy as Edward said with a wry grin.

"Boys!" Pinako spat in disgust as she cleared away some of the dirty dished and strode off into the kitchen.

Winry had been suppressing her laughter at Edward's antics in front of her Grandmother but let loose the second the elder Rockbell was out of earshot. "Edward that was incredibly nasty! BUT FUNNY!"

Edward as Roy laughed with her. It had been a long time since he had done something THAT juvenile and it felt good. "Well, I guess that tells you how exciting it can be on an encampment."

"Well, from what you were telling us not EVERYTHING you've been up to has been a bore," she reminded him.

"True," he agreed. He looked at his injured arm and asked, "Are you sure you want to work on this tonight? It could wait-"

"I'm want to examine you tonight," she interrupted. "If it's a minor repair I could do it now. But if it's as damaged as I think it might be the actual fixing is going to have to wait until morning. However, if the neural net is where all the problems are, I'm going to be disconnecting the arm completely. Which means you'll probably sleep a whole lot better tonight than you did last night."

"So you know about the pain, numbness-"

"Every time you changed position?" she finished the sentence for him and he nodded. "That's Net damage, Ed. And it's been a long time since you messed up that part of your arm. Only way I think you could've done that is by using your arm to shield your face from the explosion or by using your arm to break a awkward fall."

"Could have been either because I don't remember anything but a blinding flash of light."

She sighed. "C'mon. Let's go to my shop so I can take a look see."

He followed her out of the house and to the workshop, which was a separate structure around the right side of the family's home. Roy had seen Winry's shop once before but that was a long time ago. The place had improved greatly in quantity – and quality – of stock and he had no idea what half the tools he saw hanging from the huge pegboard were used for. The small of metal, oil, alcohol and other solvents hit his nose and the place smelled like a cross between a hospital and a machine shop. She led him to an area that must have served as her examining room because it had comfortable leather padded chair that had movable arms and leg rests and an old doctor's examining table against a far wall.

She motioned to Edward to sit in the chair and he did so while Alphonse looked on. She had a large light on a stand that looked like something she had built herself because the pole that connected it to the base was made of something very flexible. She twisted the pole so that the light was shining right where she wanted it and Winry removed the sling and then disconnected the arm from the shoulder socket.

Seeing an empty socket where an arm had been was one of the weirdest things Roy Mustang had ever experienced. Being in the military for as long as he had meant he met soldiers who had lost limbs in battle and had prosthetic automail replacements. But knowing people with automail and HAVING it yourself were two entirely different things. It was odd because it felt like the arm was still attached even though he could see it sitting on Winry's workbench.

Winry was looking inside the socket where the arm connected to the shoulder and trying to assess the damage. As she poked here and prodded there Roy as Edward sat there biting his lip to keep from screaming. He had experienced pain in his day but even being shot didn't feel as bad as this did. Edward experienced this every time he needed repairs and he'd had automail since he was barely twelve. If a kid can handle this kind of pain than I certainly can, Roy Mustang thought to himself.

By the time she was finished Roy as Edward needed a handkerchief to staunch the flow of blood from his gashed lip. It wasn't so bad as to need stitches but he wasn't going to be eating anything spicy or salty for a few days.

"God, Ed! You don't have to hide how much it hurts. It drives me crazy every time you do this to yourself!" Winry chided him as she scrounged some ice from a chest that held materials, which needed to be kept cold, and put it into a towel for him to put on his hurt mouth.

Roy knew from past experience with Edward that he never let anyone see how much he hurt. Edward always said if an opponent knew you were injured they would take advantage of your weakness. It was a good strategy in combat but Edward had the annoying habit of following this adage even in his day-to-day life.

"Sorry," Roy as Edward mumbled through the towel.

"Keep that ice on it or you'll have a fat lip to add to your list of aches and pains," she told him.

"How bad is the arm?"

"The arm itself is a quick fix. It's all the connections to your nervous system that are a mess," she explained. "Fortunately you don't have to be awake for the repair on the Neural Net. However, you will have to be up for when I need to check all the connections. And this time I'll give you a bullet to bite on since I KNOW you won't even dignify the pain with an ouch!"

Roy as Edward almost laughed but the pain in his mouth prevented him from doing more than a gurgle of humor. He couldn't even smile without it hurting. He looked over at her and asked, "So…we have all this fun tomorrow?"

She ruffled his hair saying, "Yes, tomorrow." Smiling at Alphonse, who had been watching the proceedings with great concern, she said, "Put your idiot brother to bed. I'll see you two bright and early tomorrow morning."

"Okay," Alphonse said and quickly collected up Edward and hustled him out the door.

Once they were on their way back to the house Alphonse said, "Are you okay?"

Roy as Edward paused to examine his lip. It had stopped bleeding but it still hurt. "It'll be okay. But I think I'm going to keep it on ice for as long as possible. To stop swelling."

Alphonse nodded. "Good idea."

A beat.

"I think you might be able to do this after all."

Roy as Edward looked up at him. "Do what?"

"Pretend to be Ed. You got Winry pretty convinced."

Roy as Edward sighed. "Yeah, and I feel bad about having to trick her but she can't know. If the wrong people were to find out-"

"Look you don't have to explain this to me," Alphonse interrupted. "I know why we have to keep this quiet. And I feel bad about lying to Winry too but it's for everyone's good."

Roy as Edward nodded and continued making his way back to the house. "I hope Edward has the sense to take the same precautions we are…"


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer - I don't own FMA but if I did Hughes would still be alive and Mustang would get more screen time!  
Sorry for the LONG DELAY between updates but I've been on the road for the past month and am now home again and back at my own PC! Thank you for your patience - it'll be worth it I promise!  
ROY

CHAPTER SIX

Edward as Roy was feeling antsy. He hated being cooped up all alone in a small hospital room that smelled heavily of disinfectant and faintly of poop. Even though his shattered ribs and ruptured insides hurt like hell every time he sat up or made a major shift of position it didn't stop him from trying to move. Edward knew what real pain was – he had two limbs replaced with ones made of automail. The entire procedure done to attach those two limbs had been tortuous. And the only thing that hurt worse than attaching the limbs was the process of getting the auto mail's neural net connected up with the human nerves from his own body.

Now THAT was painful, Edward thought to himself. What he was experiencing now was merely uncomfortable. 

He reached for the controller tied to the bedrail and elevated the head of his bed. As he got himself into a slightly more comfortable position Edward as Roy wondered if he should have warned the Colonel what it would be like to get that automail repaired. Not that there really was any way good to prepare someone for the worst pain they'll experience in their entire life. Then memories of all the dren he had endured from being at the beck and call of his often-egotistical commanding officer came flooding forward and Edward let out a heavy sigh. He decided that, no, Roy Mustang was better off finding out for himself what it was like to live with auto mail. But a small twinge of guilt made Edward think that maybe he should've told him getting that arm fixed was NOT going to be pretty…

Roy as Edward was still groggy from the anesthesia but mobile enough to get from the gurney to the automail repair chair with some help from Alphonse. Winry repaired the arm itself the first night they got there, since that part had only suffered minor damage. However it had taken most of the morning for her to reconstruct the shattered neural net - the one item that was essential for the arm to function. Without the neural net Edward's nervous system wouldn't have a way to communicate with the mechanical arm and tell it what to do. The net allowed for Ed's body and the arm to "talk" to each other. 

Now that Winry got the neural net back online it was time to reconnect the arm and get Edward back the use of his limb. She fitted the arm back into the socket and locked it in place. Now the only part left was to connect the nerves and Edward would be able to use his right hand again. 

"Ready to get the nerves connected?" Winry asked knowing full well this was the most painful part of the procedure. 

Roy as Edward glanced up at her and nodded groggily. 

"Okay on three. One…two…THREE!" 

Roy felt like he had been struck by lightning and that the bolt had connected directly with his right arm. The pain had been so blinding and fast that his body had only one response to the sudden shock to its system. 

He blacked out.

Edward as Roy noticed there was something in his room that hadn't been there earlier in the day. A walker! Someone had been kind enough to leave a walker in his room! To get to it he would have to get out of bed and walk about five feet but such a painful journey would be well worth it. Even though using the walker would make him feel like a grandpa Edward as Roy couldn't care less. It meant he could get out of the frelling bed and WALK! He was definitely up for that! 

He lowered the bedrail and maneuvered himself into a sitting position. The pain was so intense it made him nauseous but he fought the urge to purge and forced himself to stay seated on the edge of the bed. Once the pain subsided to the point he could see straight again Edward as Roy got to his feet leaning on the IV pole for support. 

For some reason standing hurt a whole lot less than sitting and walking only hurt if he took more than baby steps. Once he got his hands on the walker Edward as Roy sighed with relief. He got the IV pole, which was on wheels, into a position that would allow it to move with him as he walkered his way around and then proceeded to leave his room for the first time since he got there. 

The military hospital's surgical wing was fairly active for a midweek afternoon. Edward as Roy stayed close to the hallway's wall in order to stay out of the way of hospital traffic. The Eye's Only files he had been given to look over contained information about incursions over their border with Drachma. The Mount Briggs area had been debated on and off for decades mostly due to the discovery of rich ore deposits in the region. Mining colonies on the Amestrian side of the mountain had come under attack from time to time in the past but nothing major enough to require military intervention. 

Until now. 

According to the latest report a unit of the Drachman army had taken over one of their more productive mines. The ores from there were essential in the production of tanks and other heavy arms. The miners were equipped to repel bandits but not a military unit using heavy artillery. The situation was going from bad to worse and they would have to move quickly if they were to have any chance of rescuing the civilians before the harsh snows of winter blanketed the region. 

Edward had gone on many solo missions but he had never coordinated a full-fledged military strike. He knew he and Al could probably sneak in and get the miners and their families out but getting the mine itself back into Amestrian hands was another story. Two Alchemists against an army were odds he didn't even want to contemplate. But two Alchemists backed by a crack military entourage was an entirely different story. 

The Colonel's men may outwardly look like a motley crew but Edward knew better. They were all highly skilled professionals and had a lot of field experience. Captain Hawkeye was a decorated marksman and Havoc and Breda were also no slouch with a gun. Going in with guns blazing wouldn't do, especially in the rugged terrain of Mount Briggs. No, Edward thought. A small surgical strike was called for here and he knew just the team to call on to perform it. 

Edward as Roy made his way to the nurse's station. He wanted to call Central HQ and see if he could convince his friends to come down to the hospital for a meeting. Planning strategy from his bedside was going to prove interesting. He had no idea if the Colonel ever did anything like this before but he wouldn't put a stunt like this past Roy. Edward knew you don't make full bird Colonel by thirty by playing it safe and following the rules. Roy would do what it took to get the job done and now that Edward was playing his part he was going to do the same. 

"Can I help you?" a woman's voice purred from behind him. 

Edward as Roy turned around and came face to face with an attractive redheaded nurse whose white uniform had been altered to make the most of her voluptuous figure. She was smiling invitingly at him and for a split second Edward wondered what her problem was until he remembered he wasn't himself. No woman ever looked at me like** that**, Edward thought to himself. Just what is it about Mustang that gets them all so hot and bothered? 

"I need to make a phone call," Edward as Roy stated. "Mind if I use yours?" 

She smiled. "Go right ahead Colonel." 

When he turned to the desk and reached over to grab the phone he noticed her watching him with a look that bordered on anticipation. Edward as Roy sighed and ignored her and instead focused on the reason he was there in the first place. He was in mid-dial when he realized his back was cold and the reason it was cold was because the hospital gown wasn't covering that area at all. He grabbed at the gown and tried to get it to cover him up but it was too late. The busty redhead and a few other nurses got a great view of what Mustang looked like naked from the rear and all of them seemed to be enjoy the sight. 

Edward could feel his face flushing. He was embarrassed but he doubted the owner of his body would've felt the same about the situation. He'd probably love the chance to get all these women hot for him, mused Edward. Edward as Roy turned away from the cluster of admirers he was getting and made his call. 

Hawkeye answered and Edward as Roy was glad it was her. "Hawkeye get me out of here!" he said into the receiver in a hushed whisper. 

"Where are you?" she inquired. 

"Nurses station. And I think I'd be a lot better off sleeping in my own bed. More privacy and less people waiting for this frelling hospital gown to fall open so they can get their free show!" 

Hawkeye tried not to laugh. Edward had a way with words and it amused her to hear his patter coming out of Roy's mouth. "I'll see what I can do. In the meantime your dignity would be kept safer if you stayed in your room." 

"I'll keep that in mind," he said then added, "Look, I need you to get everyone together and bring them by this evening after the shift ends. I have something important to discuss with all of you." 

There was a pause and then she asked in a hushed whisper, "Just what are you plotting Edward?" 

He guessed by the whisper there were others around and he replied in the same quiet tone, "I have an idea on how to deal with the attack on the Mount Briggs mining colony." 

In her usual tone she replied, "I see. I'll let everyone know you want to see them and we'll be by later tonight." 

"Thanks Captain, see you then," he responded loud enough for everyone to hear and hung up saying, "Okay, show's over. Everyone get back to work!" 

The nurses giggled and quickly resumed their duties. His doctor was there and he didn't look at all pleased. Edward didn't balk when the doctor grabbed him firmly by the arm and began leading him back to his room saying, "You belong in bed Colonel." 

"I was getting stiff from all that lying around and though I'd stretch my legs," Edward as Roy explained but the doctor wasn't buying it. 

"You are on medical leave which means you are not on duty," the doctor told him and added, "If you can't refrain from attempting to run your army from your bedside you won't be allowed to see ANYONE until you are discharged. Understand?" 

Edward as Roy nodded. "I got it." 

"Good," the doctor stated as he got his errant patient back into his bed. "You can walk around your room but that's it until I say different. Now, get some rest." 

Edward did feel tired. That was the most exercise he had gotten since he was admitted to the hospital and he hated to admit it but he was more than ready for a nap. He settled in, closed his eyes and drifted off for some much needed sleep. 


End file.
